Drywall (also commonly referred to as or wallboard or sheetrock) is commonly installed on studs to form the basis for finished interior walls of residential and commercial buildings. While drywall is produced in many sizes, the typical sizes for installation are in sheets four feet wide and eight or twelve feet in length.
Standard pieces or sheets of drywall are heavy and difficult to install by one person alone. Accordingly, at least two people are commonly needed to hold and install these drywall sheets. In construction, time is of the essence as it relates to profitability. Use of multiple people reduces efficiency and, therefore, adds to the cost of construction.
A particular problem associated with drywall or wallboard installation relates to hanging the drywall on upper portions of a stud wall. It is particularly difficult to hold drywall at elevated positions on the stud wall for installation. It is also difficult to hold the drywall so that it remains properly aligned with the stud wall, the ceiling, etc. before being secured in place.
A variety of installation devices exhibiting different levels of complexity are known in the art. For example, the following patents and patent applications describe lifters that generally resemble the letter “T”, with the drywall or other construction material placed at the top and hoisted into position either through a cranking mechanism, screwing device, spring or telescopic means that are arranged on the vertical portion of the device: U.S. Pat. No. 3,930,645 (Anderson); U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,484 (Zimmer); U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,028 (Hunter); U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,844 (Molloy); U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,916 (Molloy); U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,774 (Balseiro et al); U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,854 (Lundgren et al); U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,945 (Jeffries et al); U.S. Pat. No. 6,508,448 (Stewart); U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,084 (Butler); International Patent Application No. PCT/AU95/00382 (WO 96/01353); and UK Patent Application GB 2,260,559. These devices, while useful for their intended purpose, can be bulky and in many cases do not lend themselves to use by a single person.
The following patents describe lifting or positioning devices that rely on the use of a foot to hoist construction materials a few inches from ground level: U.S. Pat. No. 2,692,753 (Masterson); U.S. Pat. No. 2,989,286 (Gillespie); U.S. Pat. No. 3,268,209 (Humbyrd); U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,771 (Donnelly et al); U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,561 (Wulff); U.S. Pat. No. 5,814,842 (Muldoon et al); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,399 (Nelson). While suitable for certain types of construction projects, these devices do not permit materials to be positioned at the higher reaches of a wall.
Some of the more complicated devices for lifting drywall and other construction materials are represented by the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,942 (Young); U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,219 (Lay); U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,934 (Elliott); U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,348 (Pettit); U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,826 (Hurilla); U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,299 (Jesswein); U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,063 (Warin); U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,810 (Reyes); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,492 (Kerns, III et al). In many cases, these devices require assembly before use. In addition, these devices can be bulky and heavy, including such features as tripods and scaffolding. They are consequently better suited for use in commercial construction projects than in home renovations, for example.
An example of a more current lifting device is described in United States Patent Application Publication Number US 2001/0029715 A1 (Bradley et al). This publication describes a drywall installation apparatus that includes a support for holding the drywall to be installed, an extension to adjust the length of the drywall installation apparatus, and a base to which a lifting mechanism may be coupled to raise the drywall installation apparatus holding the drywall into a desired position for installation on a stud wall. The drywall installation apparatus includes an alignment member to assist in orienting the piece of drywall to be installed on the stud wall. This alignment member (or “stud guide”) is U-shaped and serves to maintain the drywall installation apparatus in a desired position when a sheet of drywall is being raised or lowered relative to a stud wall. This installation apparatus, while suitable for certain types of walls, such as the stud walls having metal brackets that are favored in many parts of North America, is less convenient for use on other types of wall surfaces.
There is a need, therefore, for a device for holding and positioning construction materials that is simple to use and lightweight, yet sturdy enough to support the weight charge of most construction materials. There is a further need to provide an installation device and method that will allow a single person to hold and install a construction material on a wall, such as drywall, particularly at upper reaches of the wall.
The present invention seeks to meet these needs.